Foreign Travel and Journeys

My primary motivation behind writing this article is to reason out and derive the principles for predicting foreign travel by way of Vedic Astrology and try to fit the description for the cases that I know of. Over the years, I have rummaged through various books and magazines, but have not been entirely satisfied with the content. My analysis may not be entirely correct and I am even ready for nasty comments for the content of this article Please help me in this exercise of my own learning. I will be more than happy to look at your comments and incorporate appropriate changes in the main article for benefit of all. Traveling to new places, meeting new people either for purpose of business or just for pleasure helps gains knowledge and broaden our horizons and perspective. It makes us wiser. For a long time now, Indians have chosen to go abroad for the same of employment to avail of opportunities for professional satisfaction and to make more money. Arguably this trend is reversing in the last few years as the economy revives in India but visiting other countries is still considered as desirable and a source of excitement for a lot of people. There are various reasons why people move from one place to another:

Journeys within a geographical region due to nature of work what we colloquially call "traveling job". Business travel to a foreign land. Tourism or pilgrimage. Change is residence due to profession or after marriage if the spouse is settled in a different place.

Astrologically, the rules to be considered for predicting travel are:

12th House : In a horoscope, 12th house shows separation. Malefic influences on 12th house make a person wander from place to place. 3rd and 9th House: While 4th house represents comfort of a house, 3rd and 9th being 12th (causing separation) and 6th (alien-ness) from 4th denote journeys. 3rd house should be considered for short journeys and 9th for long journeys. I think this is due to the fact that from 9th house we also look at religion and hence pilgrimages, which usually were very long in olden times. Moreover, malefic influences on 4th house, by way of occupation will make one leave his/her birth place, i.e. travel to a foreign location. 7th House: A lot of sages have mentioned in their works that residence in foreign countries should be looked at from seventh house. Movable and Watery signs: Position of lords of above mentioned houses in these signs indicates travel. Rahu and Saturn: These planets influence travel in their dasha and antardasha. Rahu signifies the foreign element in the chart, something that is unconventional and out of ordinary. Sun: While positioned in any of the houses 3rd, 7th, 9th and 12th, Sun influences journeys.